Holiday Affair
by Gullnick
Summary: In season 2 John sends Susan away for holiday. And like the title tell you there she will meet someone.


Holiday Affairs

Author: Nicole Teutloff

Timeline: At the beginning of the second season.

Summary: AU/ Marcus and Susan met years ago. Will their relationship be the same way or will it be completely different?

Disclaimer: Babylon 5 doesn't belong to me but the great maker JMS. I just borrow his characters to play a bit with them. The idea is mine.

Holiday Affairs

1 

About one week has gone by since Jeffrey Sinclair, commander of the space station Babylon 5 went to earth. There was no news about him. No-one knew what he was doing on earth and when he would come back.

His second commander Lt. Commander Susan Ivanova tried to lead the station as good as she could, but he was missing in all places. Today was one of the chaotic days again. Everyone wanted something from her. She was in the middle of 1000 things, half of them stressful.

Susan was on her way for lunch when her ComLink peeped. "I not even can eat here. Ivanova go." She said.

"We just receive a coded message from Earth on a Gold Channel. I thought you would know about this." Lt. Corwin explained-

"Okay, put it on Sinclair's office."

Susan went to the office to get the message. Perhaps it was a message from Jeff.

But it wasn't Jeffrey but an EarthForce General.

"General, what can I do for you?" Susan asked.

"I just want to tell you some news about your situation. Commander Sinclair won't return to the Station. He has another task which is very important."

"What do you mean, he won't return? Where is he? Who is going to lead the Station?"

"I see you are not stupid. I can't tell you where he is. It's top secret but his task is very important for all of us. His successor is already found. It will be Captain Sheridan."

"Sheridan? Do you mean John Sheridan?" Susan asked.

„Yes, this would be him. He will arrive in the next days with Agamemnon. He knew already about his new job. Until he will arrive, you will lead the station. Lt. Commander." The General closed the line.

Susan used the time to eat. She just entered the mess when her ComLink peeped again.

"Ivanova go. What's this time?"

"The Agamemnon is asking for a landing permission. Should I give it? They haven't told the reason."

"Oh my gosh. Let them in and send security to the docks. Our new commander arrives."

Susan ran to the dock the Agamemnon would land, just in time to see the new commander alit.

"Greetings Captain. We didn't know that you would arrive today, so there is no respectful welcome." Susan said when John stood in front of her.

"Susan, you are working here? It's good to see you again. Don't worry because of the welcome. I have learnt about the new job an hour ago."

Susan told some workers to take care of John's luggage.

"Do you want to see the station?" John nodded.

Susan showed him the important places on the station. "You will see the rest later. It's a big station and I'm not sure if I have seen every spot on it."

"Well at least I know where I work. Are there any news. I read some files but they weren't this recent."

"Where should I begin? Security chief Garibaldi is still in MedLab. Dr. Franklin had tried everything; he has not much hope for him. Since two years we are guessing how ambassador Kosh looks like without his suit. No-one has seen him without it. Ambassador Delenn is in a cocoon. No-one knows what she is doing."

John stopped her. „Cocoon? As a moth or butterfly?"

Susan nodded. „About this high." She showed a bit more than a meter.

"Interesting place you have."

Susan led him to his quarter. „So, here you will stay for some weeks. Most of the things are from Jeff. We will pack them together and send to earth. Perhaps they can send him it.

„This room is bigger then my last one. I have just one question. Are there showers with real water in here? It must be years since I had a real shower."

"The rooms of the commanding staff have real showers. It's a luxury you will need."

"With your help I will manage it. Do you want to have dinner with me tonight to talk about old days? I will cook."

Susan was impressed. „You can cook? But you don't know where you can get all things. I invite you. 1830 hours, blue 19."

Susan didn't wait for an answer and left the room. When she left she said something about a 'date with the XO'.

John was on time. Susan waited at the dining room, where she had set the table.

"Hi John, you didn't get lost. I hadn't thought you would come this early."

"Well, what should I say? I left my room earlier and asked some beings for direction. It smells good."

Susan smiled. „You give compliments? But I just ordered the food from ‚Earhearts'. I hadn't had time to cook. I had to stay longer at C&C like I thought, but tomorrow I have some help there."

"I'm looking forward for the challenge. But enough tell me what you have done after I left Io." John said.

"Not much. On the next day I got a call from earth. They offered me a job on B5. I took it, even if the station wasn't the securest place at this point of time after all the things happened to the first four stations. But I had to take this chance; I didn't want to stay my whole life on Io. Not after my best friend had left." Susan smiled at him. „I'm since the first second on the station, even before it was opened. Die people working here are in my heart. They are my friends and my family. I wouldn't want to trade with someone else even if the work is stressful. But now where you are here, everything is just perfect. Since I'm here I'm working in C&C. But what's about you? What did Anna say when you are here now. Will she come later or will she visit you?"

Susan noticed that John's mood was changing. "Anna won't come and she won't visit." He was sad.

"Did you split up?" Susan wanted to know.

"If it were just that. Then there would be the change for making up. Anna is dead. She died while searching the planet ‚Alpha Omega 3'. Her ship, the Icarus crashed. There were no survivors."

Susan went to him and hugged him. "I'm sorry. I didn't know about it. I know how it feels to loose a person you love. You miss her?"

The two of them enjoy the rest of the evening. On the next morning John started working in C&C. It started with a crisis.

In the next weeks they repeated there meetings.

About two months later, John asked Susan to his office.

"Susan, I got a special work for you. I want that you lead a meeting between Londo and G'Kar. They fight, again."

"I would love to do this, but you know very well that at least one commander have to be there."

"There will be a commander present. The meeting begins in half an hour."

"If there is a commander present, he can lead the meeting. I have enough work to take care of." Susan was on her way out.

"Stop, we aren't finished. You will take part at the meeting. You will be the only one who will be successful, Commander Ivanova." John said and waited for her reaction.

"I'm sure, Commander… How did you just call me?" Susan asked.

„I have called you with your rang, Commander Ivanova. I thought the time was right for you getting promoted. You are doing a good job and it was a logical reaction. Congratulation."

"Thank you, John." Susan said and kissed John on his cheek.

"And now hurry so you have still some time left to read about the problem of the two of them. And show them who the boss on this station is." John smiled at her. He had heard about the rumors that Susan was the ruler of the station."

About two weeks later they met for dinner at John's.

"Why does you dinner smell better than mine each time you cook. Do you have a special receipt?" Susan asked entering his quarter.

"No, not really. I just cook what I want and for what I got enough food. Are you hungry?"

"By smelling this you are just getting hungry. Just wait for Garibaldi being back on his feet. He is a real gourmet-chef. The whole staff is looking forward for his invention. His specialties are Italian dishes. I think you will get along fine, when he is healthy again. Even it will take its time for him to trust you. You need to know that Jeff was his friend and he got him when Michael was on his end. He had given him a second chance, when no-one believed in him. It will be hard for him to learn that Jeff left the station and no-one knew where he is and what he is doing there."

"I can imagine that. I hope the Doc finds a way to save Garibaldi. I'm looking forward to meet him."

„He's a good person and a good security chief. But now enough. Tell me about you. Do you like it here?"

"Yes, I like being here. You were right, the work is very stressful. I feel like ruling a whole city. But I'm no politician. But now I have a very good Commander who is going to help me. I did know why I was promoting you."

"I believe you did. I do the whole work while you are having fun with ambassador Delenn."

"I didn't have fun with her. The meeting yesterday was work. It doesn't matter what it looked like." John said.

"You don't need to explain. Each person need some love. I'm happy to see that you have some fun in you life after Anna's death. And like the ambassador is looking at you, you are more than the Captain for her."

"Do you think?" John asked hopeful. „But that's not the topic now. There is a reason why I would speak to you tonight."

"And this would be?" Susan asked caution.

"It lasted until today for me going through the personal files. And I found something real interesting. The staff is changing very often. There are only a few persons who are here for a longer time. And most of them are working at important positions."

"I could have told you that, too. You know I know everything what is going on on this station. Nothing happened without me knowing about it."

"And I found something else. Everyone, no matter how long he was working here were on holiday. All, but one." He looked at her.

"Oh, you are speaking about me. I can explain that. I hadn't had the need for holiday until now. Okay, the work is stressful but I felt fine here. I didn't need holiday and it didn't affect me. I'm healthy and happy. And what should I do? Alone? My family is dead. There is no-one I could visit and it's not my kind of doing to sit in a hotel room, doing nothing and waiting for a day to end."

"I know but I still worried about you. Each person needs some changing. You too. And so I got this for you." He gave her an envelope. Susan looked at him asking and opened the gift.

"John, that's a ticket! What should I do with it?"

"It will take you to Valhalla. There you will spend three weeks on holiday. Just relax a bit."

"That's very nice, but I don't need a holiday." Susan protested.

"This is not about what you need, Susan. It's perhaps the last change to spend a quiet time. I have the feeling that something big will come up. Delenn always speaks about shadows that are awaking and about great wars which are in front of us. You know the minbari. I just want you to use the quiet time to gather your strength. I think you will need them later."

"But I can do that here, too."

"I don't think so. Valhalla is a lovely little planet in the minbari sector. Delenn had recommended it to me. It should be like Earth. I have booked you a room in the best hotel. They told me, that there won't be any minbari-beds. You can do there what you want. There are offered different kinds of sports and they have a well-known wellness-program. I'm sure you will like it there."

"I don't want this. What should I do there all alone?"

"You will have the chance to think about all. To become clear with your life. Just enjoy the time there. Do, do you go on your own or must I give you the order for it?" John asked grinning.

"Okay, you won. I will get and spent my holiday there. But I still think I don't need any. Und I can't promise you that I will be more relaxed when I return. You need to know that I will get aggressive when I'm bored. And you can think about someone I'm going to take out my anger."

John rethought his decision a few seconds, but it was too late to call it off.

Did you like it? Hope to update soon.


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